Competition

The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH issues three Film Prizes for international cooperation between young German and Arab filmmakers (members of the Arab League) to jointly realize a film project in co-production. The prizes, each worth 60,000 euros, are awarded to short films (fiction, animation, documentary) or feature length documentaries. 

WinnersJuryTeams
David Ausserhofer, Berlinale Talents 2020

Another successful Film Prize year is over. The Film Prize Team would like to applaud the Film Prize Winners, but also thank the Film Prize Jury, Film Prize Experts and Film Prize Partners for their supportive contribution and long-standing collaboration. 

Being a competition and a yearlong training program offering tailor-made workshops to emerging talents from Germany and the Arab World, the aim is to provide primary experience with international co-production and to support intercultural exchange and understanding.

The idea behind

Training Program
Participate in tailor-made workshops

Project Development
Benefit of various intense consultations

Team Work
Develop the project further as a team

Competition
Learn how to pitch and convince a jury

Co-Producing
Gain first experience in international co-production

Network
Benefit from various industry platforms

Exchange
Interact with artists from different cultures

The award

Three Film Prizes each worth 60.000 euros

Awarded to

  • Short Films (fiction, animation, documentary)

  • Feature Length Documentaries

Given by an international jury at the award ceremony

The prize money goes ex aequo to the German and Arab producers

The yearly calendar

Project Market Amman, Jordan  summer

Nomination early fall

Project Lab late fall

Pitch Forum including the Jury Pitch early spring

Award Ceremony during Berlinale Talents

Having won the Film Prize, the production takes place in both partnering countries. This allows the team members to travel to each other's countries, experience different cultures and work in a new environment. 

What you need to know

Only applications submitted by mixed German-Arab film teams, who want to realise a joint film project, will be accepted for the Film Prize.

Filmmakers should

  • have completed at least one short film
  • be in the beginning of their cinematographic career
  • or be finishing soon their studies at film and media academies
  • be able to communicate and defend their ideas in English
  • Arab filmmakers should be citiziens of and reside in a member country of the Arab League.

The mixed German/Arab film team should consist of the following field of works:

  • director
  • producer
  • co-producer
  • scriptwriter

Further fields like director of photography, editor, sound designer etc. should complement the team in a balance from both partnering countries.

To find your right team partner, the Film Prize organizes project markets with regional partners. Find out more here

Applicants must be able to communicate and defend their ideas in English. The application and project dossier have to be submitted in English.

  • An international jury awards three Film Prizes.
  • The prize money of 60,000 euros per project goes ex aequo to the German and Arab producers. 
  • The Robert Bosch Stiftung wants to keep the non-commercial rights to use the film within the Film Prize's activities.

With the Film Prize for International Cooperation Germany/Arab World, the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH aims to support the general public in promoting art and culture as well as international understanding.

The advertised prize money is intended to provide an incentive to individuals of all countries to conceive or create film products geared towards creating or strengthening mutual understanding among peoples.  

The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH places particular importance on highlighting the connection between art and culture and international understanding as well as on the fact that cinematographic works, as a particularly powerful element of the visual arts, can function as bridges between peoples/continents/societies in unique ways. This connection is of special significance regarding the judging criteria. 

In this context, the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH calls attention to the fact that, as a non-profit organization, it does not wish to become politically engaged or to offer political statements within the scope of this project. For this reason, the cinematographic works should not be conceived or created solely to convey a political message. Political messages are defined by the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH in this context as:

  • global political issues;
  • national political issues;
  • regional political issues;
  • local political issues.
     

It is, however, unobjectionable for the creators to demand or take a stance on general conditions in the context of international understanding if these are suited to foster international understanding in terms of improved mutual relationships among peoples, as manifestations in the form of “film cinematic works”.

The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH reserves the right to attach specific legal requirements to the disbursement of the prize money in keeping with its commitment to the non-profitable purposes of promoting art and culture as well as international understanding.  

Applications will thus be assessed with due regard to the following judging criteria:

  • Type of presentation (short film/silent film; black and white film, color film) and its effects on the purpose of fostering mutual understanding among peoples/societies;
  • Genre (documentary, comedy, tragedy) and its effects on the purpose of fostering mutual understanding among peoples/societies;
  • Actors (leading actors, supporting actors) and its effects on the purpose of fostering mutual understanding among peoples/societies;
  • Subject (real, fictional) and its effects on the purpose of fostering mutual understanding among peoples/societies.
     

Political neutrality and political affinity as related to international understanding.